Sociology : theory and methods - observation
Advanatages of overt observation
1) Less ethical problems - of obtaining info by deceit....
2) Higher reliability - allows observer to ask naive but important questions
3) Observer can take notes openely, not rely on memory
Disadvantages of overt observation
1) Group refuse outsider to join...
2) lack validity as it creates hawthorne effect
3) practical - costly, gaining skills, changing appearance to get into group
4) less reliable - difficult to repeat
5) loss of objectivity....
6) representativeness....
Conducting Participant Observation
Getting in:
1) some groups are easier to study/enter e.g.....
2) researcher may have to overcome group's suspicion, adopt particular role
Staying in:
1) must be involved with group and activities to understand it fully....
2) yet too detached...
Getting Out
1) leaving group after becoming close with them = difficult
2) loyalty = may prevent them from disclosing everything learnt
advantages of participant observation
1)validity - groups observed in natural setting = data more likely to be true account of group's behaviour...
2)offers insight - best way to understand something is to experience it - verstehen
3) flexibility - rather than starting with fixed hypothesis - allows researcher to enter with open mind, new explanations can be formulated
disadvantages of participant observation
1) practical - researcher needs to be trained - issues wiht staying getting in/staying in/getting out
2) ethical - difficult to ensure anonymity of participants
3) criticised by structural sociologists such as func and marx - argue cuz it focuses on micro level of actor's meanings, po ignores wider structre that shapes behaviour such as class inequality
Advantages of covert observation
1)Valid - more than overt, lack of hawthorne effect - true where people are engaged in activities they would rather keep a secret - loud humphreys...
2)Valid - first hand insight
3)find more in depth detail about why, where, when, who
Disadvantage of covert observation - practical
1)requires researcher to keep up on act - always risk of cover being blown - patrick....
2)Sociologist cannot take notes openely and must rely on memory - ditton used toilets as place for recording
Disadvantage of covert observation - Ethical
1)deception - covert requires researcher to act as something other than researcher
2)Even overt observations such as conducted by venkatesh - potential for harm....
3)observers may have to lie about reasons for leaving group at the end of research - others such as patrick simly abandoned group without explanation = unethical